Meet the visual effects studio behind some of the best video game commercials

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Characters from various Playstation 3 games gather in a seedy bar to reminisce. Doctor Who looks up as hundreds of spaceships swarm around Stonehenge. The magic mirror in Snow White and the Huntsman melts at the queen’s call and reforms into a reflective figure. They’re all impressive examples of seamless visual effects, and they all came from the same studio.

The Mill has been adding effects to commercials, TV shows, movies, and more since 1990, and you’ve probably come across their work more than once. Just like “Michael,” the player championed by that pub full of game characters, people who do effects work are often unsung heroes of video production. And that’s why you might be surprised, while looking at the studio’s 2012 showreel, at how many clips you recognize.

The Mill has a knack for creating effects that blend naturally with real footage. Somehow the flaming head of Sweet Tooth doesn’t look awkward in an underground bar, nor does the soft glow of a blue Portal portal in the background — and that video is only one example of their game-related work.

The Mill’s brief Kid Icarus: Uprising commercial nails the style of that title, and their Mass Effect 3 ad looks so authentic that it will give you hope for the ME feature film project. (The movie is still early in development, so there’s no indication whether The Mill will be involved, but their shot of Reapers destroying the Golden Gate Bridge makes a pretty good argument for it.)